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Market News: peanut butter and jelly sandwich makeovers

Peanut butter and jelly makeover: Apple thickly sliced replaces the bread in a PB&J update from WholeFoodsMarket.com. No jelly here, just a little added sweetness from chocolate chips and more crunch from granola.

Some kids could eat it every day. But as parents, our job is to challenge them and expand their palates – even if it's only a little.

Michele DiPietro, who is behind a lot of the tips and concepts at Whole Foods Markets, had some great ideas to move beyond the standard PB&J. The favorite is a fruity sandwich where the bread is replaced by thick slices of cored apple, making crunchy peanut butter sandwiches in the round. Instead of jelly, these are sweetened with a few chocolate chips or raisins and crisp granola.

There's also a recipe for peanut butter granola bars. The technique is a lot like that for the peanut butter popcorn squares at Popcorn.org. But those tasty treats pack a full cup of corn syrup and a full cup of sugar to 2 quarts (about 8 cups) of popcorn.

The granola bars, conceived by Saratoga Peanut Butter Company, use a lot less sweetener for their peanut butter blend, which holds together oats and rice cereal.

Peanut butter granola bars from Saratoga Peanut Butter Company

How to make them: Line an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with foil or parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang. In a large mixing bowl, toss together 2 cups of oats with 1-3/4 cups of rice cereal and set aside. In a small sauce pan, combine 1 cup of peanut butter (Saratoga's Adirondack Jack with flax and cranberries is recommended), 1/2 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt (optional). Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently until melted and combined. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oats mixture and toss to coat evenly. Pour the mix into the prepared baking dish and press firmly into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Lift bars from dish using the foil or parchment overhang. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Another option, use fresh berries instead of jelly or jam. Press the berries into the peanut butter so they don’t fall out of the sandwich, DiPietro advises. Or spread the bread with apple butter and a drizzle of honey.

Press it into a panini: Try wheat bread, crunchy peanut butter, strawberry preserves or jam, sliced banana, and a little butter on the outside of the bread. Warmed, the flavor combination might recall crepes in Paris. With that in mind, try challah bread and replace the jam with semisweet chocolate chips as a variation.

The gluten-free crowd – and those who just want to cut carbs – can spoon peanut butter and raisins into cucumber cups or “boats.” And if you simply must do traditional, DiPietro suggests at least adding some texture with dried fruits, fresh chopped fruits or more nuts.